The objective was to produce phospholipid-enriched extracts from a new fishery by-product (scallop
wastes) using supercritical fluid technology. A two-step fractionation scheme was used to improve the
extraction selectivity by first deoiling the dried material by neat CO2 and secondly extracting phospholipids
by CO2 plus ethanol. During this step, extracts were collected and quantified for their content in
total lipids (by Folch extraction), phospholipids (by phosphorus nuclear magnetic resonance) and nonlipid
components (by gravimetry). The influence of temperature (27e60 C) and extracting fluid
composition (15:85 to 50:50 w:w ethanol:CO2) on extraction kinetic and extract composition was
analyzed. Propanol-2 was attempted as co-solvent as well. With ethanol, the highest content in phospholipids
(58 g/100 g of extract) was obtained at 45 C and 15 wt% of co-solvent, whereas propanol-2 was
far more selective and led to an extract with a purity of 90 g/100 g of extract in phospholipids in conditions
of 27 C and 50 wt% of co-solvent. Compared to pure ethanol or conventional choroform:methanol
extractions, CO2-based mixtures allowed for recovering extracts of phospholipids content higher
than 35 g/100 g of lipids. Besides phosphatidylcholine, ether glycerophospholipids and phosphonolipids
were detected in samples as well.